Ju Zi Helplessly Fell Under Xu Tianran's Control, Trying Every Means to Pass Along Intelligence

Deep within Ming Du Imperial Palace, Ju Zi knew Huo Yuhao would not come.

She was placed back in the empress's chambers. Outside stood Inner Court consecrators, imperial physicians, matrons, and layer upon layer of Soul Tool inspection formations. Xu Tianran had not killed her. Instead, he granted her even greater honor than before. The words "the empress is pregnant" were enough to set all of Ming Du boiling.

Yet it had been no more than two months since that night.

Her belly had not begun to show, nor were there any truly distinct movements from the fetus. All anyone could see was the silver-blue light repeatedly shining from the Pregnancy-Test Soul Guidance Ring, the careful congratulations from the Imperial Physicians' Office as they knelt and kowtowed, and Xu Tianran's obsessive joy whenever he looked at her abdomen.

Xu Tianran needed this child too badly. Every time the Pregnancy-Test Soul Guidance Ring lit up, his gaze softened a little more—and grew a little colder. The softness was for the unborn "imperial heir"; the coldness was for Ju Zi.

Each time, Ju Zi lowered her head and bowed, swallowing all her nausea behind her gentlest smile.

She knew this lie was still far from becoming reality. She had to deceive the Imperial Physicians' Office, deceive the Inner Court, deceive Xu Tianran, deceive everyone waiting to tear a piece of flesh from her. The child was still too small, so small that only late at night, with her hand pressed over her abdomen, could she confirm through that faint Soul Power fluctuation—almost an illusion—that he truly existed.

To her, he was not a chess piece, nor an imperial heir. He was her child with him.

Ju Zi lowered her head and rested a hand over her abdomen. Her heart suddenly softened until